Originally known as Simon son of Jonah, but later renamed by Jesus, Peter was a successful fisherman who lived in Bethsaida. His is an intriguing story of a courageous man who knew Jesus intimately from the very start of His ministry, and yet it is the story of a man who struggled with his faith and human frailties the entire time. We see a strong, confident, yet emotional and uncertain man who truly loved Jesus; so much so that he claimed he would die for Him, but the same day that he made that claim he denied that he even knew Him. We see a man who is controlled by doubt and fear, but then grows to become the founder of the Christian Church and one of its most revered leaders. We have in Peter a genuine eyewitness account to life and works of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Bible contains four Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But if Peter were truly so close to Jesus, where is his Gospel? Wouldn't it have been important for him to record his account of Jesus' ministry? Well, the answer is yes, and we find that the Gospel of Mark could well be called the Gospel of Peter as written by Mark, because Mark was Peter's disciple and penned his Gospel based on Peter's teachings during their travels together. It is interesting to note that the Gospel of Mark begins with the baptism of Jesus, for it is just after this event that Peter is first introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew. Jesus told them that He would make them "Fishers of men" and to follow Him, so they left all of their possessions and went with Him.

Later, Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." But then He asked Simon, "What about you? Who do you say I am?" And Simon answered, "You are the Christ." Because of his faithful answer Jesus named him Peter, meaning the "Rock". Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Peter went on to become the most prominent character in the Gospels. His name is mentioned in the New Testament more often than any other name (except Jesus), and he spoke in the Gospel accounts more often than the other disciples did. His name is mentioned first in the two Gospel lists of the disciples and he was part of Jesus' inner circle along with James and John. Because of his special relationship with Jesus he was always present when Jesus performed all of His miracles, and he was selected along with James and John to accompany Jesus as eyewitnesses to His transfiguration. As further testimony he would later write:

Peter testified to the fact that he heard God's voice on the mountain that day, and he repeatedly testified to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah up until the day that he died. His eyewitness testimony stands for us to examine to this day. But Peter, being all too human, was a flawed character who at times showed doubt and fear. There are many examples of Peter's doubts throughout the Gospels; I've selected these examples:

1. "During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
   But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
   "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
   "Come," he said.
   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
   Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:25-31)

2. "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
   Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
   Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Matthew 16:21-23)

3. "A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."
   But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.
   A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them."
   "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.
   About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."
   Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:56-62)

In the first story the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and they were frightened; all except Peter; he eagerly wanted to join Jesus on the water. So in his haste he didn't even think about what he was doing, he never gave himself a chance to doubt what he was about to do, he just stepped out onto the water and, focusing his attention on Jesus, he walked on the water! But then the reality quickly swept back in and he was filled with doubt, which instantly turned to fear. His focus left Jesus and he began to sink (perhaps the way we sink into sin when we've lost our focus on Jesus). Then he cried out, "Lord, save me!" (As we need to cry out to Jesus to save us). Peter gets an "A" for effort, but his doubt and fear would continue to haunt him.

In the second story Jesus begins to explain what must happen to Him in the days to come. He foretells of His death and resurrection, but while the other disciples just listened (and by their actions after the crucifixion they didn't seem to listen very well) again it's Peter who takes the lead and actually rebukes Jesus. Peter completely misses the point of why Jesus had to die, causing Jesus to rebuke Satan whom Peter was obviously being influenced or possessed by. Peter didn't see the big picture, and because of his fear of Jesus' death he opened himself up to be tempted by Satan. Remember, Jesus had not made it a secret that He would have to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and by this time the disciples, especially Peter, must have known that He was God in human form. So for Peter to scold Him was akin to Peter putting himself above Jesus and above God. Which, as you'll recall, is what led to Lucifer's downfall, and it is what Lucifer/Satan still tries to do to this day; only in this case he was attempting to do it through Peter. Satan apparently had a very strong desire to lead Peter away from his faith, as later Jesus would say, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Peter continues to struggle with his faith, and his acceptance and understanding of Jesus' true purpose, until after Jesus' ascension into Heaven. Yet Jesus' prayer was answered, because as we'll learn, Peter's faith did not fail; in fact his faith became a model for Christians throughout the centuries.

The third story is probably the most memorable of Peter's failures - his denial of Jesus three times. This occurs at a time when Jesus, if He were only human, would have needed His friends the most, and Peter was one of His closest friends. Earlier this same day Peter had said to Jesus, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." And it was to this that Jesus replied, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." This of course happened just like Jesus said it would, and it is clear that Peter's denial of Jesus troubled him for a long time afterwards. Again he had allowed himself to be ruled by fear instead of faith, but he did learn from the experience, and his faith was made purer and stronger from it. We also know that he was forgiven for his denial of Christ, and in fact Jesus gave him an opportunity to redeem his three denials by admitting that he loved Jesus three times. After His resurrection Jesus asked Peter the same question three times in a row, once for each time he had denied knowing Him:

Peter, the "Rock", became the firm foundation for the Christian Church, and he obeyed what Jesus had commanded him to do. But in these stories we see a true human being. Dare I say that we may even see ourselves? Peter acted much in the way that you or I might act in these same situations. The Gospel stories don't sugar coat or try to hide this fact, they simply tell the stories like they were, with all of the human frailties intact. But even though Peter had flaws we can see him maturing in his faith throughout the Gospels, and through this we learn that we can also mature in our faith. We all begin our search for the truth carrying our doubts and fears, but isn't it wonderful to know that through perseverance we too can grow in our faith and in our relationship with Jesus, just as Peter did? We too can defeat Satan's attempts to destroy our faith and obedience.

These examples and others hardly disqualify Peter as an eyewitness to the identity of Jesus. In fact, although Peter showed weakness throughout Jesus' ministry, he never wavered in his testimony of Jesus from the Day of Pentecost until the day of his death. Even though Jesus foretold of his death as a martyr:

The fact that Peter knew he would die a martyr's death in his old age and yet still went out and preached the gospel makes his testimony even more credible. Think about this. If you were told to go and preach a new religion to the world and that by doing so you would ultimately be tortured and killed, would you do it? Would you do it if you had any doubts about the head of this religion? Peter, who had denied Jesus three times before His crucifixion, is told to go and feed the sheep (or spread the gospel), and then he's told that this will lead to a horrible death in his old age. The Peter that we met at the beginning of the Gospels surely would have begun to doubt, and eventually he would have become very fearful of his impending doom, but this Peter never wavered. In fact he went on to give what has been called the most perfect sermon on the Christian faith ever given - his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in the book of Acts:

"Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

" `In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him:

" `I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

" `The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." (Acts 2:14-40)

Peter was selected by Jesus to be the foundation of His church, and designated by Jesus to be one of His witnesses to the world:

Today Peter still acts as a perfect eyewitness for Jesus, and part of his testimony is given to us in the book of Acts. Formerly known as "The Gospel of the Resurrection" and later named "The Acts of the Apostles" this, the fifth and last of the historical books of the New Testament, is where Peter conveys the core doctrine of the Christian faith that founds the Christian church. In it he testifies:

Peter also gave extensive testimony in the two Epistles that he wrote, 1^st and 2^nd Peter. Peter had been called the "Apostle of Hope", because his first Epistle abounds with words of comfort and encouragement fitted to sustain a "Lively hope." In it Peter testifies to the following:

Peter testified further in his second Epistle which he wrote near the end of his life:

• "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2^nd Peter 1:2-3)

• "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2^nd Peter 1:10-11)

• "I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things." (2^nd Peter 1:13-15)

From the Day of Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit, Peter never wavered in his testimony of Jesus Christ. He lived and he died with the testimony that Jesus was the supernatural Son of God, that He fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies, and that He died for our sins and then rose again on the third day. Peter traveled with Jesus throughout His entire three and a half-year ministry, and he was an eyewitness to everything that Jesus said and did. He was adamant about the fact that he personally witnessed Jesus' resurrection, even though he knew that his death as a martyr was imminent.

It is believed that Peter was tortured and then executed, by being crucified upside down, between AD 64 and 67; but not before being given an opportunity to save himself. All Peter had to do was denounce the resurrection of Jesus and he would have been allowed to live - but he refused to do this.

Now some people claim that Jesus never rose from the dead. There are several theories that are floated as to what really happened three days after His death, but by far the most often heard, and easily accepted, is that the disciples stole the body and hid it somewhere; then they fabricated this lie that He miraculously rose from the dead. If this were true, then Peter, as the most prominent and purported leader of the disciples, would certainly have known about it. In fact, he probably would have been the mastermind behind the plot and the one who initiated the awesome lie. But now I ask you - would he have died for something that he knew to be a lie? Would you? People do not die for something that they know to be untrue, especially such a horrible death. Most people probably wouldn't even die for something that they truly believed in, let alone something that they knew was a lie. The Peter who doubted that he could walk on water, and doubted the real purpose of the Messiah, and was too afraid to admit that he even knew Jesus, went to his awful death with no doubt that he was dying for the truth. He had seen Jesus with his own eyes after the resurrection. So how could he deny what he had seen with his own eyes? If he had denied it, even just to save himself from his dreadful fate, then the denial would have been the awesome lie.

There is only one truth, and everyone needs to come to his or her own conclusion about that truth. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Peter knew the truth, and he went to his grave agonizing to bring that truth to you.

We have heard from two very reliable witnesses so far, but there is more yet to come. Click NEXT to see the testimony�of another disciple from the "inner circle" - a disciple who referred to himself as "The disciple whom Jesus loved" - The Apostle John.